Bacolod City candidates and their supporters, and representatives of the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines are set to join peace covenant signing rites for the May 2019 elections at the Bacolod Public Plaza, Sunday.

Chief Insp. Ariel Pico, Bacolod City Police Office public information officer, said yesterday that they are expecting at least a thousand participants during the activity that will kick off with a 6 a.m. mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral.

A unity walk will follow after the mass and they will converge at the plaza for a short program, Pico said.

The covenant signing, which is not mandatory, is an initiative of the PNP to remind political aspirants that there is no need to be violent during the elections, he said.

Just like in previous elections, the police aim is to have zero election-related violence, Pico said.

The gun ban will also take effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, which is the start of the election period, he said.

Simultaneous checkpoints will also be conducted in Bacolod, Pico added.

Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon yesterday reminded candidates to take down their billboards in Bacolod City, with the campaign period for the May polls about to start.

“As we are nearing the campaign period, I would like to urge those who put up billboards to take them down in the interest of fairness,” she said.

Guanzon said she also saw some partylist billboards along Lacson Street in Bacolod.

The campaign period for candidates for senator and party-list groups starts February 12 and will end on May 11, she said.

The campaign period for candidates for member of the House of Representatives, and elective provincial, city, and municipal officials will start on March 29 and end on May 11, she added.

Campaigning on March 28 (Holy Thursday) and March 29 (Good Friday) is prohibited.*